1. Field of the Invention
The apparatus and process of the present invention relates to bulk material transport bags. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for applying an adhesive in the interior of a bulk material transport bag, and subsequently gluing a plastic liner within the bag, and the apparatus for undertaking this process.
2. General Background
In the current state of the art in the construction of bulk material transport bags, herein referred to as bulk bags, these types of bags are utilized to transport dry or liquid bulk and may contain up to two tons of bulk when the bag is filled with material. Quite often it is required that the material bulk bag, which is constructed of an open weave fabric, includes a plastic or polyethylene liner within the bag, so that fine powdery bulk or liquid bulk, does not seep through the pores in the fabric in the exterior fabric bag, resulting in loss of product or contamination of the product.
Applicant has filed an application for letters patent for a bulk bag containing a glued in liner bearing U.S. Ser. No. 07/251,020, and filed Sept. 27, 1988 entitled "Semi-Bulk Bag With Liner And Method Of Assembly", which is U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,291, and is incorporated hereinto by reference. There is disclosed in that application the manner in which the polyethylene liner is positioned within a bulk bag after glue has been placed along the upper shoulders of the bag and around the lower exit spout of the bag. The bag is then shown to be manually inflated, so that the polyethylene liner likewise inflates against the sidewall of the bulk bag, and the adhesive causes the plastic liner to make permanent contact with the outer fabric bag. Therefore, when the bulk is removed from the bag, the plastic liner will not follow the bulk out of the plastic bag, and perhaps be lost in the bulk, or worse yet cause contamination of the bulk should the plastic have become contaminated on it's exterior surface when it contacted the fabric bag.
However, there is a need for a process and apparatus, for applying the adhesive to the interior of a bulk bag, inserting the plastic liner into the bag, and gluing the liner to the bag, all using a singular apparatus, and a singular process. Such a process and apparatus are disclosed by the present invention.